ǂ’Amkoe body part terminology in comparative perspective
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Bonny Sands
Abstract
The genealogical relationship of the ǂ’Amkoe language to the Ju languages in a newly labelled Kx’a family has been recently demonstrated (Heine & Honken 2010). In this paper, we support this relationship with additional etymologies which have been identified through comparison with lexical items documented from ǂ’Amkoe. Further, we discuss the areal relationships apparent in the ǂ’Amkoe lexicon, following Traill’s (1973: 27) observation that the proportion of ǂ’Amkoe cognates with other ‘Khoisan’ languages is “50% Northern, 33% Southern and 17% Central”. We will compare lexical items in ǂ’Amkoe with Ju, Khoe and Tuu languages of the Kalahari Basin Area (cf. Güldemann 1998b). Body part terminology is often considered to be an area of the lexicon which is relatively resistant to borrowing, yet we still find high percentages of body part terms which are apparently cognate with unrelated languages such as Gǀui and Taa. These findings underscore the danger inherent in a language classification which relies primarily on lexical data alone.
Abstract
The genealogical relationship of the ǂ’Amkoe language to the Ju languages in a newly labelled Kx’a family has been recently demonstrated (Heine & Honken 2010). In this paper, we support this relationship with additional etymologies which have been identified through comparison with lexical items documented from ǂ’Amkoe. Further, we discuss the areal relationships apparent in the ǂ’Amkoe lexicon, following Traill’s (1973: 27) observation that the proportion of ǂ’Amkoe cognates with other ‘Khoisan’ languages is “50% Northern, 33% Southern and 17% Central”. We will compare lexical items in ǂ’Amkoe with Ju, Khoe and Tuu languages of the Kalahari Basin Area (cf. Güldemann 1998b). Body part terminology is often considered to be an area of the lexicon which is relatively resistant to borrowing, yet we still find high percentages of body part terms which are apparently cognate with unrelated languages such as Gǀui and Taa. These findings underscore the danger inherent in a language classification which relies primarily on lexical data alone.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents vii
- Foreword and acknowledgments ix
- Abbreviations xi
- ‘Khoisan’ linguistic classification today 1
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PART I. Cross-areal perspectives
- Molecular anthropological perspectives on the Kalahari Basin area 45
- ‘Khoisan’ sibling terminologies in historical perspective 69
- Clicks, prosodies and Khoisan 103
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PART II. The Khoe-Kwadi family
- Verb serialisation in northern dialects of Khoekhoegowab 125
- Areal and inherited aspects of compound verbs in Khoekhoe 153
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PART III. The Kx’a family
- Demonstrative and relative constructions in Ju 181
- N!aqriaxe (ǂ’Amkoe) spatial terms from a genealogical and areal perspective 209
- ǂ’Amkoe body part terminology in comparative perspective 233
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PART IV. The Tuu family
- The Lower Nossob varieties of Tuu 257
- Towards a genealogical classification of Taa dialects 283
- Master list of references 303
- Language (group) index 325
- Subject index 329
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents vii
- Foreword and acknowledgments ix
- Abbreviations xi
- ‘Khoisan’ linguistic classification today 1
-
PART I. Cross-areal perspectives
- Molecular anthropological perspectives on the Kalahari Basin area 45
- ‘Khoisan’ sibling terminologies in historical perspective 69
- Clicks, prosodies and Khoisan 103
-
PART II. The Khoe-Kwadi family
- Verb serialisation in northern dialects of Khoekhoegowab 125
- Areal and inherited aspects of compound verbs in Khoekhoe 153
-
PART III. The Kx’a family
- Demonstrative and relative constructions in Ju 181
- N!aqriaxe (ǂ’Amkoe) spatial terms from a genealogical and areal perspective 209
- ǂ’Amkoe body part terminology in comparative perspective 233
-
PART IV. The Tuu family
- The Lower Nossob varieties of Tuu 257
- Towards a genealogical classification of Taa dialects 283
- Master list of references 303
- Language (group) index 325
- Subject index 329
